The suspect being held by on suspicion of murdering veteran politician Ann Widdecombe was not known to the anti-terrorism Prevent programme, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said.
Counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation into the former Conservative minister’s death after new evidence came to light.
Miss Widdecombe, 78, latterly a Reform UK spokeswoman and Brexit Party MEP, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon.
Her body was discovered at about 11.40am on Thursday at her remote bungalow. She had sustained serious injuries.
A 28-year-old white British man who was arrested on suspicion of her murder on Saturday has since been rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Police could be allowed to hold him for up to 14 days for questioning under terrorism legislation if needed.
The Home Secretary told the House of Commons on Monday the suspect was not known to the Government anti-extremism scheme Prevent.
She said Miss Widdecombe was “one of those rare politicians who was bigger than politics”, and that the circumstances of the former Maidstone MP’s death were “extremely distressing”.
“She was a unique figure in our politics, a distinctive and devoted public servant, the likes of whom we will rarely, if ever, see again,” she added.
“Ann had a profound faith. Her journey in this life has ended too soon.”
Nigel Farage has been offered a meeting with the head of a parliamentary body responsible for politicians’ security amid the party’s concerns about the safety of Reform UK MPs, Ms Mahmood said.
She will also look at security advice for former members of parliament and members of parties that do not have MPs.
Earlier, it had been announced that counter-terrorism policing were taking over the investigation from the Devon and Cornwall force.
Laurence Taylor, head of UK counter-terrorism policing, said: “Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation.
“We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.
“Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all the capabilities we have available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.
“We would like to thank local communities, the wider public and the media for their ongoing support and patience, and would ask them to continue to support us in the next stage of the investigation.”
Footage was shared with media outlets, including the Sun newspaper and Sky News, showing a man with no top on being arrested and led away from a house in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday.
In cases of this kind, investigators will look through devices owned by the suspect to see if there is any terrorist material, and consider other issues such as their mental health.
If a range of different extremist material has been accessed it can be challenging to decipher one ideology – more than half the referrals to Prevent in the year to the end of March 2025 were for no fixed ideology.
Police believe Miss Widdecombe was attacked on Wednesday at about 12.30pm, shortly before she had been due on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show.
ITV News later published a series of WhatsApp images that appear to show that Miss Widdecombe stopped responding to messages from a TV producer after the approximate time police believe the attack took place that day.
Meanwhile, Downing Street stressed the importance of protecting the “integrity” of the investigation.
Mr Farage faced calls for restraint at the weekend after giving his thoughts about the case.
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice and board member Gawain Towler both spoke out after Devon and Cornwall Police initially said the murder was not being treated as terrorism and there was nothing to suggest it was politically motivated.
Mr Towler said: “In a time when trust in the police is at an all time low, this just plays into that they are trying to massage public opinion rather than do the job of investigating a brutal murder.
“We saw it with Henry Nowak, we saw it with Southport.
“By appearing to rule something out and then a few days later bringing it back in, they look manipulative and that’s a shame.”
Mr Tice said it would be “wise, when considering motivation” for police to keep an open mind “as opposed to ruling things out too quickly that may then end up being ruled back in”.
Miss Widdecombe was first elected a Conservative MP in Kent in 1987, and went on to become an MEP for the Brexit Party and then a spokeswoman for Reform UK.
She also found fame outside politics after starring in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
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